Compare towns
Buffalo vs Amherst
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Buffalo has the most affordable homes ($164k median).
Amherst has the most expensive homes ($312k median).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Buffalo | Amherst |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 276,854Highest |
130,546Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest NY: +4.2% |
+5.9%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 34.3±0.5Lowest 14% below NY |
39.1±0.8Highest about the NY average |
| Kids under 18 | 22.3%±0.6Highest NY: 20.5% |
19.2%±1Lowest NY: 20.5% |
| Age 65+ | 14.2%±0.5Lowest NY: 17.9% |
21.5%±0.9Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 31.2%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
57.3%Highest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.5%±0.5Lowest NY: 7% |
13.3%±0.8Highest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $50,041±$2kLowest 42% below NY |
$93,483±$2kHighest 9% above NY |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $164,200±$5kLowest 61% below NY |
$311,600±$7kHighest 26% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,046±$18Lowest 35% below NY |
$1,393±$45Highest 14% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,622Lowest 75% below NY |
$5,935Highest 10% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.3%±2.3Lowest NY: 52.1% |
53.1%±4.3Highest NY: 52.1% |
| Amherst and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 26%Highest NY: 14% |
10.1%Lowest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 43%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
69.9%Highest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY |
1971Highest 12 yrs newer than NY |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 39% below NY |
20 minHighest 39% below NY |
| Work from home | 11.3%±0.8Lowest NY: 14.9% |
15.9%±1.4Highest NY: 14.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #455 of 484 in NY | #72 of 484 in NY |
| School district | BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | AMHERST CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT · SWEET HOME CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | HUTCHINSON CENTRAL TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL | WILLIAMSVILLE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
11.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet |
NY average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.